Printing and inking device for postmarking and canceling machines.



Patented May 20, I902;

J. FRENCH. PRINTING AND INKING DEVICE FOR POSTMARKING AND GANGELING MACHINES.

(Application filed Apr. 1, 1901.)

I 2 Sheets-Sheet I.-

(No Modei.)

\ Inventor I Jsephfiench; JM QQUQ 6 til/K Witnesses;-

046'6'0 rneys.

No. 700,4I4. I Patented May 20, 1902.

J. FRENCH.

PRINTING AND INKING DEVICE FOR PUSTMABKING AND C ANC ELING MACHINES.

A nc'acion filed Apr. 1, 1901.)

(No Model.) Sheets-Sheet 2.

7/\ I ////A.m Witnesses.- I In'ven0 Z294 fisephfiench yk w Qhw A v Cfltorne m: ms mm; 60., morunm, wpulumou. a; c.

"UNITED ST TES- P TE T; O J I JOSEPH FRENCH, OF wooNsooKEr, RHODE ISLAND.

PRIN TiNG A ND lNKlNG DEVICE FOR POSTMARKlN G AND CANCELlNG MACHINES SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 700,414, dated May 20, 1902.

Original application filed anuary' 23, 1901 Serial No. 44,490. Divided and this application filed April 1, 1901. Serial i g No. 53,986. (No model.)

4 T all,,wh0m it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn FRENCH, a oiti Zen of the United States, residing at Woonsocket, in the countyof Providence, State of 5 Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Printing and Ink-' ing Devices for Postmarking and Canceling Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being'h'ad therein to th 7 1o accompanying drawings. Y

The invention consists in improved printing devices and inking arrangements therefor, whlch have been devised for use more especially in machines for postmarkingand I 5 canceling purposes inconnection with cards,

letters, and the like or for printing upon cards,&c. J Y

The present invention'isa division of that which is presentedin my application :for United States Letters Patent,'flled January v23, 1901, Serial No. 44,490. j I y In the drawings, Figure lis a planlview .of portion of a postmarking' andcanceling ma; chine such as is presentedin my application aforesaid, the printing-roll being omitted for.

the sake of clearness andthe periphery thereof being indicated bya dotted circle; 3 Fig.2

shows the printing-rollin plan detached. Fig.

3 shows the same in elevation." Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section thereof. Fig. 5 is avertical cross-section onI-the planeindicated by the dotted line 5 5, Fig. 4

Having reference to the drawings,'74 design'ates the printing-roll, (indicatedby a dotted- 5 circle inFig. 1,) and 7 5 the backin g-roll, which cooperates therewith. The cards or other ar-- ticles to be postmarked or printed pass between the said two rolls. The inking-roll is shown at 232,Fig."1,it

40 being mounted on avertical spindle 233,which is carried by the horizontal swingingarm234,

' the latter being mounted toro'ckon'a 'vertical pin or post 235. I A second arm is shown at 236, it being independently mounted upon the said post or pin a roll 237,,which works in connection with the periphery of I acam 238; rotating in unifson with. theprinting-roll 74. The purpose of the cam 238 istohold the'inking-roll 232 3 away from the periphery of the printing-roll 74 except at such times as the printing-sur and being furnished with faces of the'latter are presented in position I to have ink ap lied to the same by the inkhe cam 238 acts more directly ing-roll 232. to move the roll-carrying arm 236, and the outward movement of the latter is trans. mitted to the arm 234, on which the inking-q I roll 232 is'supported. A contracting spiral spring239,"connected with a projecting pore tion 260 of the carrying-arm 234 of the'ink ing-roll 232, a'ctswith a tendency to-bear the inking-roll 232 towardlthe printing-M1174.

The elftectsof this spring 239 are also transa H mitted to the other 2.1111236 Withtheeflecb of, I .65 .1 f 236 toward pe p ery r the cam 23s. 1r v carrying'the antifriction-roll 237 on said arm the constructionweresuch as to permitthe antifriction-roll 237 to leave the surface of the I earn 238-for instance, at those timeswhen the.

surface of the inking-roll 232 is inoontact with each other, which would produce a hammering in the working of the machine.- Itis for the purpose of obviatingthis hammering which would" be incident to the renewed'contact of s the cam 238 and roll 237 with'each other that I employ the two separate arms 234 and 236. I interpose between the said armsv an expansion spiral spring 240, which acts with a tendthe printing-surface of the printing-roll 74-'= there would be a distinct blow when the carn- 238'a'nd roll 237,again come in contact'with' I ency' to force the two arms-234 and 236 away from each other. This spring 240 is weaker than the main spring 239, and consequently so long as the more prominentportion of the cam 238 is in contact with the antifrictiom;

roll237the said main spring 239 is permitted to actlwith sufficient force to compress the, expansion spring.- 240.' When the inward I movement of the arm 234, carrying the inking-roll 232 with inent ofthe'second arm 236,1thereby maintaining the antifriction-roll 237 in continuous i contact with'the surface of'the rotating cam 238.- The drop or depression of the said cam 238 is considerably greater than actually is. required to enable the surface of the inkingroll 232 to touch the printing-surface of the printing-roll 74. The object of this is to give rec" 9 7 ,ing roll 232, is arrestedby contact of the ink-j 4.}

the printing-surface of the. i printing-roll'74, the-expansion ofthespring f i 240 operates to occasiona nindependent move- .95; M Y

such an excess of inward movement to the second arm 236 as to enable the latter to wholly clear the carrying-arm 234 of the inking-roll 232, and thereby allow the inking-roll 232 perfect freedom to take bearing against the printing-surface of the printing-roll 74. In order to avoid shock and hammering between the two arms when the second arm 236 in its outward movement again picks up the roll-carrying arm 234, I interpose a cushion 241 of blow-absorbent material between the two arms. Either rubber or leather may be employed, although other substances may be substituted.

In consequence of use the material constituting the ink-absorbent portion of the inking-roll wears away, thus reducing the diameter of the said roll. For the purpose of compensating for this wear and reduction of diameter I employ provision for adjustment between the two arms. In the present instance I place the blow-absorbent cushion 241 in a cup or socket 242, which is placed within a recess of the roll-carrying arm 234, the said cup or socket having a threaded stem 243, which is fitted to a threaded hole in the said arm 234, it having a lock-nut 244 applied thereto. By turning the cup or socket 242 the cushion 241 may be caused to project more or less, and thereby the extent of movement of the two arms 234 and 230 relative to each other may be regulated as required in order to compensate for wear as aforesaid.

The provisions for adjustment which have just been described also enable me to vary as desired the amount of printing-surface measured circumferentially of the printing-roll 74 to which ink is applied. This enables me to vary as desired the length of the imprint which is made by the printing-roll 74 upon the card or other article that is passed through the machine. For example, assuming that the printing-roll 74 is provided with a line or lines of characters to print the place, date, and time of cancellation and below the same with a series of bars 262 or the like forpurposes of cancellation, this latter series being equal in length to the longest line of letters or numerals which is likely to be required, it is possible by the adjustment of the cushion 241 aforesaid to so time the contact of the inkingroll 232 with the printing-surface of the printing-roll 74 that it shall come in contact With the said printing-surface just at the beginning of the particular line of letters which is in use for the time being and pass out of contact with the saidsurface just at the end of the said line, however much the length of the line may vary. By this means only that portion of the series of canceling-bars will be caused to print which agrees with the line of letters or characters for the time being in use above the same.

In the case of the illustrated printing-roll the printing characters which require occasional or frequent change instead of being on removable type are provided, on type-wheels or the equivalent thereof, which are movably combined with the printing-wheel, so that by simple shift of the same without removal they may be arranged to print any required date or hour. Figs. 2 to 5 show an arrangement in which the name of a city and that of a State, as Well as the number of a year, are permanently affixed to the main portion or body of the printing-roll, although it should be explained that these are formed on or applied to plates 245, which are detachably secured by bolts 261 26l to the printing-roll 74, so that when occasion requires they may be removed and replaced by others. The characters for printing the date and hour of cancellation are shown provided on a series of type-wheels 246 246,which are mounted upon a pin 247, having its ends suitably supported on the printingroll. For the purpose of holding the wheels 240 24G locked after having been adjusted into the desired position a series of dogs 248 248 is pro- Vided, one for each wheel, each dog 248 being notched to receive the end of each of the projectingtype on its wheel, as indicated in Fig. 3, as such type are brought around into position for engagement therewith in succession and beingacted upon by an expansion spiral spring 249, that is compressed between the body of the dog 24S and a bar 250, extending across the series of dogs above the same. Each dog has an upwardly-extending projection 251, by means of which the dog 248 may be lifted by hand when it is required to rotate the corresponding type-wheel 246 for the purpose of readjustment. The type-wheels are mounted to rotate in planes extending parallel with the axis of the printing-roll. The assembly of type-wheels is barrel-shaped-that is to say, the wheels are of varying diameters and the type are curved transversely on a radius slightly greater than that of the printing-roll,- so that a given series of characters brought into line at the periphery of the printing-roll 74 will correspond truly in curvature with the periphery of the said roll or at any rate will be concentric with theroll 74. This secures an even and uniform imprint. The face of the type are straight vertically to insure flat contact with the surface on which the print ing is to be effected. The type-wheels are all mounted with their axis in line with one an other, and the characters thereon which are to participate in making the desired imprint come into one straight line with the fixed char acters on the roll itself.

I do not claim the construction of the typewheel herein, inasmuch as the same is to be made the subject of claims in a divisional application.

WVhat I claim is 1. In combination, the printing-roll, the inking-roll, a carrier for said inking-roll, means to press the inking-roll toward the printingroll, a cam rotating in unison with the printing-roll, a movable member intermediate the surface of said cam and said carrier, means to hold said member in continuous contact with the surface of said cam while the inking-roll is in contact with theprintingsurface of the printing-roll, and, ayielding cushionbetween said carrier and movable member to relieve the shock when the two come together after being separated, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the printing-roll, the ink? ing-roll, a carrier for said inking-roll,means to press the inking-roll toward the printingroll, a cam rotating in unison with the print-- ing-roll, a movable-member intermediate thesurface of said cam and said carrier,-a. spring interposed between said carrier and said movable member and operating to hold said member in continuous contact with the surface of said cam while the inking-roll is in contact with the printing-surface of the printing-roll,

and a yielding cushion between said carrier and movable member to relieve the shock when the two come together after being separated, substantially as described.

3. In combin'atiomthe printing-roll, the inking-roll,a carrier for. said inking-roll, means to press the inking-roll toward the printingrol1,a cam rotating in unison with the printing-ro1l,'a movable member intermediate the surface of said cam and said carrier, means to hold. said member in continuous contact with the surface of said cam while the inking-roll isin contact with the printing-sur face of the printing-roll, a yielding cushion between said carrier and movable member to relieve the shock when the two come together after; being separated, and means to adjust thesaid cushion in the plane of movement of the carrier and movable member, substana tially as described.

4.3Iu combination, the'printing-roll, the inkin g-roll; a. carriersfor said inking-roll,; means to press the inking-roll. toward :the printingroll, a cam'rotating in ,unisonwith' the printing-roll, a movable member.intermediatethe said cam while the inking-roll is in contact with theprinting-surface of the printing-roll, a yieldingcushion betweensaidcarrier and movable member to relieve-the shock when the two come together after being separated,

andmeans to'adjust'the said -cushion -in the plane of movement of the-carrier and mov able member, substantially as described.

. 5. In-combination, theprinting-roll, a cam rotating in unison therewith, the inkingroll,

an arm carrying the said inking-rolhan-arm operated by the said cam, ayielding cushionbetweenthe two arms, and a spring tending to separate the two arms, substantial1y.-as:described.

1 6. Incombination, the printing-roll, acam rotating'in unison therewith, the inking-roll,-

an arm carrying the said inking-roll, anarm;

operated by thesaidcam, a yielding cushion v v between the two arms,means to adjust the saidcushion in the plane of the twoiarms', and

a spring tending to separate thetwo arms,- substantially as described. I I

In testimonywhereofl aflix my. signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, ARTHUR F. RAN ALL.

' JOSEPHFRENOH. 

